When Your World Changes
by mbeer769
Summary: Clark leaves once again after being brought home by his father after his romp through Metropolis while on Red K. He's out in the world, trying to sort hrough his feelings, when a chance encounter with a witty and beautiful brunette changes his life. CLOIS
1. Prologue

**Title: **When Your World Changes

**Writer:** Mbeer769

**Pairings: **Clois, and brief Clana

**Spoilers: **Phoenix

**Rating: **PG-13 to NC-17

**Warning: **Some scenes of romantic substance, along with some scenes of violence.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Smallville or any of its characters; they belong to Warner Brothers and DC comics. I am not making any money off of this story, and no, I am not Nate Teich.

**Main Characters: **Clark Kent, Lois Lane, Chloe Sullivan, Bart Allen, Lana Lang, Jonathan and Martha Kent, and Lex Luthor.

**Summary: **What if after returning to Smallville, after Clark's escapade in Metropolis, he decided to leave again? What would happen if he ran into a certain witty and beautiful brunette?

**Prologue**

**Smallville, Kansas: 2004**

_Clark had been back for a few days now. After being brought back by his father, he was still in the process of trying to put his life back together. Although he no longer wore the ring, he could still feel its effects lingering inside of him. He felt he had to get away, and sort things out on his own; he felt leaving was the only choice._

Clark shines his flashlight around on the cave paintings, stopping briefly at a painting of a ball of fire, descending from the heavens. He turns towards his father. "Dad, I just don't get it. Why would Jor-El help you bring me back when he was the one who wanted me to leave?" Jonathan pauses and tries to hide a guilty look on his face, Clark looks at his father before a thought dawned on him. "You made a deal with him, didn't you?"

His father places a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye, "Clark, the most important thing right now, is that my son has his life back." Clark looks his father in the eye then to the ground, "I'm not sure I want it back." He pulls away from his father and turns and walks a few steps away. "Being Kal-El, I could just do whatever I wanted. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of me."

Jonathan walks up to him and puts an arm around his shoulder. "Look, I'm not saying that staying is going to solve all your problems, but at least this way we can face them together, as a family."

Clark sighed, "I wish it were that easy, but I feel like I have to figure things out on my own, for once." His father winces slightly and closes his eyes. "Dad, I can still feel the ring's effects, I need to sort things out. I can't do that here, not with the worries about Lionel and Jor-El."

Jonathan sighs and looks at his son, and nods in defeat. "Ok… but please, promise me you will keep in touch." He looks at his son, while Clark nods. "I promise dad." They hug and Jonathan wraps an arm around his son's shoulders, "C'mon, let's go home." Clark nods and they leave the caves.

The truck ride home was quiet; there was an uneasy feeling inside the cab of the trusty old pick-up. Clark's gaze was fixed on the fields outside his window, while Jonathan's was on the road, although he would look at his son every now and then. When they arrived at the farm they noticed a familiar SUV parked in the driveway. Clark got out of the car first and went inside where he found his mother and Lana talking.

"Lana?" She turns around and looks at Clark. "What are you doing here?" She pauses for a moment, "I came to talk… to you." Clark nods, his brow furrowed slightly in confusion. His thoughts racing trying to discern the topic of conversation, he's snapped out of his thoughts when Lana speaks. "Can we go somewhere private?" He nods, his mind still elsewhere. "Uh, yeah, sure. Let's go up to the loft." She nods quickly and they head out together to the loft.

When they reach the top, Clark shoves his hands in his pockets, and rocks back and forth on his heels. "So…" Lana turns to regard him. "What did you want to talk about?" She looks into his blue green eyes with her brown orbs and answers with a short but precise answer. "Us." He looks at her even more confused, "What do you mean… us?"

She turns and takes a few steps towards the large window. "Our future… together. "Clark opens his mouth to speak, but she cuts him off. "I understand you have your secrets, and you can't explain some things, and I'm fine with that now. I understand now, that as long as you have love, then that's enough." Clark forces an uneasy smile, which Lana takes for nervousness, so she takes both his hands and continues. "I know all of this now, and I love you, and that's all that should matter."

Clark squeezes her hands gently and tries to smile, but he can't. "Lana… do you remember when you told me to come find you when I decided whether or not I was going to stay?" She nods. "Well… I've decided." A look of sadness overcomes her face, and tears well up in her eyes. "I'm leaving…" She falters and lets go of his hands. He looks at her with sadness in his eyes, "I'm sorry, but I have to." She looks at him, her face looks as if her world came crashing down around her at that exact moment. "W…w… when? And to where?" He sighs and turns around, not wanting to look at her for fear he'd change his mind. "I leave in 2 days… and I haven't decided where yet. All I know is I need to get away from Smallville for a while, to think." He sighs and walks down the stairs of his loft, leaving Lana alone and confused.

_Two days had passed and Clark was ready to leave, he just had to say his last goodbyes to everyone. They were all gathered at the Kent Farm; Pete, Chloe, Lana, Lex, and his parents. Clark began the sad task of saying goodbye, and promising to keep in touch, but alas he did it and headed off to the bus stop. He said goodbye one last time at the bus stop and got on the bus, not knowing when he would return or what lay ahead of him. All he knew was he was going to figure things out on his own for once._


	2. Chapter 1

**Metropolis: Two Months Later**

Clark walked down the streets of Metropolis, in a pair of faded jeans and a black dress shirt. Tonight he went to Atlantis, he still went by the name of Kal, but only because he didn't want to be Clark, at least not yet. He walked down the street towards Atlantis, and turned a corner, and to his surprise he bumped into someone. "Sorry…" He offered her his hand, but when she refused and stood on her own, he finally took notice of the beautiful woman that stood before him. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a black tank top, her brown hair was down, and her gorgeous hazel eyes regarded him angrily.

He stood there for a moment not moving or thinking, he just lost himself in this woman, his mouth slack and his eyes roaming. "Trying to catch a fly?" He snapped out of his reverie and looked at her, she stood there hands on hips which were cocked to one side, her eyebrow raised at him, awaiting an answer. He stumbled on his words, "Um… uh, oh, sorry." He smiled sheepishly at her, his eyes uneasy and wandering, he tried as hard as he could to not stare at her, but even with all his strength, there was just something about her that his eyes kept coming back to.

He clears his throat forcefully and goes back to his usual demeanor and looks her over once more before smirking, "Now what's a beautiful girl like you doing out at a time like this?" He tried his hardest to be like Kal, but he could never get it right. She chuckled, "Nice try." She smirked at him, something about him making her tell the truth, "I'm going home; ya see the club back there thinks they are too good for me, but the truth is I'm too good for them." She looks back at the club angrily, then turns her head back to Clark after hearing him chuckle. "And what's so funny?" Her eyes narrow and her posture changes to go on the offensive. "You weren't on the list, were you?" She sighs and shakes her head. He smiles widely at her, "Come on." She eyes him suspiciously, he sighs, "Do ya wanna get in the club or not?" he asks without much patience. She eyes him for a few more moments before smiling and nodding. He rolls his eyes and walks towards the club.

They arrive at the club, the masses awaiting to get in block the way. Clark looks around for a few moments. "So this is getting into the club?" She asks while looking and with her arms out wide. "I could've done this." He looks at her in disbelief and sighs in defeat, "Ya know what, fine." He grabs her hand and starts pushing his way through the crowds, he pushes one exceptionally large man out of the way, who gets angry and grabs his shoulder from behind. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Clark stops and closes his eyes trying to keep his anger under control, and thinks to himself. _"Can this day get any worse? First I run into an annoying girl who won't shut up, and now this guy…"_ He doesn't turn around but speaks, "Look, I'm not in the mood right now, so shut up and let go of me." The man gets angrier and spins Clark around and stares him in the eye, Clark sighs and looks right back at the man, whose eyes grow wide in surprise. "Uh… I'm… uh… sorry Kal." The man immediately lets go of Clark who sighs and keeps going, she looks on in wonderment.

Clark continues to push through people, until he reaches the front and goes to walk through but is stopped by a bouncer. "Whoa there buddy. You can't just walk in; you gotta be on the list." Clark sighs once again, his frustration building by the minute; he looks right at the guy, who is much smaller than Clark. "You're new… aren't you?" The man nods not likely Clark's tone, "Yeah, so why don't you make it easier on me and tell me your name?" Clark sighs and closes his eyes, a headache coming on, and opens his mouth to speak before he is cut off by Jordan, one of the regular bouncers. "That's Kal, let him in." The new guy nods his head quickly and lets Clark and the girl to enter.

As he walks through the crowds, the regulars part for him, but the newcomers get in the way and are quickly moved. The brunette looks on in amazement as Clark pulls a Moses. Clark stops at the bar and turns towards her, "Do you want something to drink?" She looks at him curiously, "What do you plan to get out of this?" He looks at her, his brow furrowed and he smiles, "Just your name." He then mumbles under his breath so she can't hear, "For now." She looks at him her eyes narrowed, "Did you say something?" He shakes his head, "No, I just said I'd like to know your name." She continues to glare at him, before her eyes soften and she smiles slightly, "My name's Lois… Lois Lane."


	3. Chapter 2

**Clark's Apartment: Three Days Later**

Clark sat alone on his couch, thinking. _"Ever since I met her I can't get her out of my head… the saddest thing is, we only talked for maybe five minutes before we went our separate ways…_ He began to think about everyone back at home. _I wonder how everyone in Smallville is doing… Mom, Dad, Chloe, Pete, and Lana… now there's a name I haven't heard or thought of in a while. Could it be I've replaced my obsession with Lana Lang with another equally weird obsession with Lois Lane…? Lana Lang… Lois Lane… ugh, I need to get out more… _He looks up and it's dark outside, he glances at his clock, 11:34 PM… He smirks, "Atlantis, here I come." He gets up and puts on a clean pair of pants and a clean shirt, black of course.

Clark walked down the streets of Metropolis, completely carefree, not because he could take anyone who attacked him, but because he had created a reputation for having a short fuse.

_Flashback_

_Clark walked back to his apartment after having an exceptionally bad day, he was angry… very angry. The ring's lingering effects were in full force tonight, and he was not in the mood to be messed with. But of course, that's the type of days muggers pick to attack._

_A mugger jumped out of the shadows and pulled a gun on Clark, who just sighed in annoyance. "Give me your wallet." Clark looked at him like he was kidding, and chuckled. "Sure… now why don't you get out of my way, or I'll make you get out of my way." The mugger looked at him like he had a second head sprouting from his shoulder and held his guy up to meet Clark's face. Clark sighed heavily and began to walk forward, when the mugger hit him in the side of his face with the barrel incredibly hard, a blow that would knock any normal person out… but Clark is not normal, so it just made him angry… very angry._

_Clark turned his head back to the man slowly, a snarl upon his lips, his eyes glowing red, the man's eyes widened in horror and surprise, and he started to back away with his hands up. "Look man… I'm sorry…" Clark didn't hear a word, unbridled rage was muting everything, he didn't even see the people who began to flock around, his sight was focused on the man in front of him. He slowly stalked forward after the guy, who was still slowly retreating. When the mugger noticed that Clark was following he turned to run, but ran right into Clark's large chest. His eyes wandered up to meet Clark's snarling face… he froze in place when he noticed the evil glint in Clark's eyes. Clark's large hand snapped up in a blur and grabbed the man's shirt, lifting him easily off the ground. "Look man… I've got a wife and kids…" Clark's eyes softened as the man spoke, but soon they were hardened once more by the ring's effects. "Well, you should of thought of that before…" Clark gripped the man tighter and threw him into a dark alley, where he crash landed into a dumpster. Clark then walked away from the scene, and he thought to himself that if one more person interrupted him he would kill them… all he wanted to do was get back to his apartment and go to sleep._

_End of Flashback_

Now no one would step up against Clark, but that didn't stop them from hurting other people. Clark walked towards the club when he heard a girl's scream; he turned quickly and located the source in a dark alley a few dozen feet away.He quickly made his way to the alley to see a familiar young woman getting mugged, Clark sighed. _Today is not going to be a good day. _Lois turned her eyes and glanced at him as he stood there his arms crossed over his chest, behind the mugger. The mugger was holding a gun to her, but for some reason her fear was gone now that she saw Clark. The mugger grabbed her purse and smiled and turned around to leave… as soon as he did the smile on his face disappeared and was replaced by an expression of terror. Clark looked the man in the face, his eyes widening with surprise and anger, "You again…" "Kal…" He squeaked. Clark looked at him his eyes narrowed and his jaw tight, "Remember what happened last time?" The man nodded quickly… "Is it going to happen again?" He asked frightened, and Clark just smirked at him and nodded. The mugger whimpered and turned around and gave Lois her purse, before sighing heavily and turning around to meet Clark. Clark's large hand picked the man up and flung him to the back of the alley.

Clark walked away as Lois looked on in amazement; she hesitated before running after him. "Hey!" Clark stopped and sighed. She caught up to him and ran in front of him, "How'd you do that?" Clark sighed, "Do what?" He avoided eye contact, he shoulders dropped in disbelief, "Throw a two-hundred pound man over 20 feet." She looked at him her eye brow raised in curiosity. "Um… uh… he wasn't two-hundred… I'd say more like one-eighty." He smiled sheepishly before looking around for something or someone to help him out, and he found it in the night club. He looked at her and smiled honestly, "You wanna get something to drink?" She looked at him incredulously for a moment before shrugging and smiling, "Sure." They walked towards Atlantis together, her hand unconsciously grabbed his, and his eyes widened in surprise before he settle down, realizing it was one of the most normal and comfortable things he's ever felt, it was like her hands were made for his to hold.

They spent the next two hours talking and laughing… and drinking. By the end of the night, Lois was incredibly drunk, while Clark… wasn't. He asked her where she lived, but it was halfway across town, while his apartment was only a few blocks away, he decided she could spend the night there, she got the bed he got the couch. Before they even got halfway she passed out, and Clark was forced to carry her the rest of the way. Normally he'd find this task quite annoying, but for some reason he didn't mind it.

They arrived at his apartment a few seconds later, because he used his super speed, figuring she was out cold, and there was no one around, so it was safe. But what he didn't know was she wasn't as drunk as she led him to believe and she saw everything…


	4. Chapter 3

**The Next Morning…**

Clark awoke to find Lois sitting in a chair staring at him, he looked at her confused and she smiled. "Hi." She was awfully cheery for ten o'clock in the morning. He mumbled, "Hi…" He slowly tried to get off the couch, but Lois pushed him back down, he gazed at her like she was crazy. "What?" He asked some agitation showing in his voice. She smirked and then her face cleared of emotion and she narrowed her eyes at him, like a lioness watches her prey before striking. "How'd you do it?" He sighed, "How'd I do what?" She smirked at him, "Oh, I don't know… throw a man over 20 feet like he was nothing, and then, run so fast everything became a blur." She got a smug look on her face as he began to mutter and stumble over his words. "Uh… you were drunk, that's why everything was a blur." She shook her head and kept the smug look. "Poor Kal… I wasn't drunk; in fact, I didn't even drink at all last night." He replayed the night in his mind, and he saw her drinking. He looked at her like a confused puppy, "I saw you drink… you drank just as much as me…" She smiled, "True I drank as much as you, but it was all water." His eyebrows shot up almost to his forehead. "Water?" She nods smugly, "Water." He sighed and dropped his head, "So it was all an act?" She smiled, "Yup, just an act, a pretty good one if you ask me." He stared into her eyes and thought he could trust her. He smiled sheepishly, "I don't suppose saying it was magic would cut it… would it?" She shook her head, "Nope, not at all." He sighed in defeat, "Alright…" She smiled like she just one the lottery.

A few hours later, after telling her everything, from his heritage, to his powers, to the effects of Kryptonite, he sat there in silence and stared at her, as she stared right back at him, he was beginning to worry because she hadn't said anything in 5 minutes. "Lois?" He asked quietly, her eyes stared straight at him, although it felt like they were looking right through him. She was lost in her own mind, running over everything he just said to her. "Lois?" He asked a little more loudly this time, before sighing, and waving his hand in front of her face. She immediately snapped out of her coma like trance and looked at him, with scrutinizing eyes. "So… you're an alien?" He nodded his head, and looked slightly frightened, her eyes lit up with excitement and she smiled. "That is so cool!" He looked at her an eyebrow raised; he had not expected that kind of reaction. "It… it is?" She nodded her head enthusiastically. "Of course it is!" She looked around, and then her gaze fell upon him again and she smirked. "Show me." He looked confused and waited for her to clarify her statement. She sighed, "Show me your powers." He laughed and shook his head.

**A Few Weeks Later…**

_Clark and Lois's friendship had strengthened. It even blossomed into something more. They had been officially dating for a week now, and they were having a great time. Clark loved being with someone who accepted him for who and what he was, he loved her, and she loved him. A lot of their time was spent in Clark's penthouse, the rest was spent out on the town or at Lois's apartment which her father paid for while she was attending Metropolis High. She even managed to talk Clark into enrolling there, she said it was so he didn't fall behind, but the truth was she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible. They thought nothing could go wrong, but they had a surprise coming up._

The two loved birds sat on Lois's couch in her apartment, in a serious make out session. Clark's hands roamed Lois's body like a pro, while her hands were tangled in his hair and feeling his rock hard abs and chest. Neither of them heard the door open or the short blonde girl walk into the apartment, or did they notice her standing in the hallway watching them for a moment smiling.

The blonde girl smiled knowing her cousin rarely dated, mainly because no one wanted to mess with her father, and she was happy for her cousin. She waited a few more minutes until her brow furrowed in confusion, she had no idea how long they had been at it, but not once did they break for air, she decided she had seen enough. She cleared her throat to announce her presence, the two split apart in the blink of an eye, and stared at the newcomer.

Lois immediately smiled and ran up and hugged her, "Cuz!" The blonde smiled, and hugged her back, "Lois." They split and Lois walked over to Clark, and pulled him towards her cousin. "Kal this is…" He cut her off, "Chloe." He smiled sheepishly at Chloe, whose eyes widened in shock. "C… c… Clark?"


	5. Chapter 4

"Clark?" Lois turns her head to gaze upon Clark, her eyes narrowed. "Why did she call you Clark?" He chuckles nervously, and looks around for an escape route. Chloe and Lois both stand there looking at him, Chloe looking quite irate, while Lois looked confused and suspicious; Clark looked… like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming tractor trailer. In fact he was caught in the headlights of 2 tractor trailers, one named Lois one named Chloe, and like any deer he knew he should move, but just couldn't get himself to, at that moment he found the floor to be quite intriguing so he kept his gaze there.

"Kal…" Lois's voice was soft and angelic, causing Clark to look up, but what he saw was quite contrary to the voice, her face showed anger. He slowly stepped backwards. "Kal… why did Chloe call you Clark?" She asked while stepping forward, and he opened his mouth but before he could speak Chloe jumped in. "Because, that's his name, Clark Joseph Kent." She looked right at him, then her brow furrowed, "And why are you calling him Kal?" Lois looked at her cousin then back at Clark, "Because that's what he said was his name." She puts her hands on her hips and looked directly into Clark's eyes, making him feel like a little, little man.

He took another step back, only to find himself against the wall, his eyes opened incredibly wide as he knew his end was near. He watched as the cousins slowly began to implement a flanking maneuver, Chloe from the right and Lois from the left, both had strange looks in their eyes, looks that Clark did not want to find out what they meant. He looked straight ahead of him and tried to make a break for it, but they caught his arms, and he whimpered sadly. Had they been anyone else, he wouldn't of hesitated to throw them far, far away from him, but they were his best friend and his girlfriend, he dropped his shoulders and head in defeat and sat down on the couch. And there he sat, awaiting his fate.

But they didn't say anything, he worked up the courage to slowly look up and found their gazes locked on him, he quickly brought his view back to the floor in front of him. They stayed that way until Clark couldn't take it anymore. "Alright! Alright…" Lois quirked and eyebrow at him, "Alright, what?" He sighed, "My name is Clark…" Lois closed her eyes and shook her head, and looked at him with anger in her eyes. "You lied to me!" Her voice raised and she was about to continue but Clark cut her off. "But, my name is also Kal." Chloe and Lois looked at him strangely, he sighed and looked at Lois. "Lois, remember when I told you about where I came from?" She nodded slightly, "Well, my real name is Kal. But my adopted parents named me Clark…"

Chloe chimed in, "Wait, now you're calling them your adopted parents? They are your parents Clark, you've never even met your real parents." It was Lois's turn, "Yes he did, he met his father, he was in the ship…" She quickly covered her mouth to prevent anything else from spewing forth. Chloe's eyebrows shot to her hairline, "Ship? What ship?" Clark's eyes opened wide and he stumbled over his own tongue to find the right words, "Um, ship? She didn't say ship she said…" He looks around trying to find something to fit in but he meets Chloe's gaze and he knew she wasn't buying it.

Clark mumbled under his breath, "Man… two in the span of a few months… they're gonna kill me…"


	6. Chapter 5

**Lois's Apartment: A Few Minutes Later**

The trio sat on the couch in complete silence, Clark staring at the ground, Chloe sitting in silence deep in thought, and Lois glaring angrily at Clark. Clark dared to look up, and saw Chloe with a blank face and glazed over eyes, "Chloe…?" She didn't respond. "Chloe?" This time he poked her in the shoulder, and still nothing. He scratched his head and was just about to turn and look at Lois when Chloe snapped out of it and smacked him in the back of the head. His jaw slacked and his mouth opened wide, and he looked at her in pure amazement. "What was that for?" Her eyes narrowed on him, "For not telling me any of this sooner." She crossed her arms and glared at him some more, just as he was about to say something, he felt another hand hit him in the back of the head. He turned his head slowly, and glared at Lois. "Now, what was that for?" She glared at him, and opened her mouth like she was about to let him have it, then shrugged. "I'm not sure, it just felt right." He shook his head and started rubbing his temples. "Why me…" Chloe and Lois said at the same time, "Excuse me?" And he quickly replied, "Nothing." He smiled sheepishly and went back to looking at the floor, which he had grown very fond of.

After a few minutes, he stood up and asked, "Anyone want coffee?" He hurried into the kitchen before anyone answered. Lois and Chloe shook their heads, Chloe yelled into the kitchen, "We're not done yet, Clark."

In the kitchen Clark sighed and slumped against the wall. "Why me…"

**Kent Residence**

Martha and Jonathan were in the middle of dinner when the phone rang, Martha was about to get it when Jonathan raised his hand, and got it himself. "Hello?" … "Hi son." Martha's face lit up with joy and anticipation. "What's wrong Clark…" Martha's joy faded into worry. "Uh huh… ok…" Then there was a long pause, Jonathan's face turned bright red and his eyes narrowed. "YOU WHAT!"

Martha became clearly worried, "What happened Jonathan?" Mr. Kent hung up the phone, clearly angry, and just shook his head. "Come on Martha, we're going to Metropolis." She furrowed her brow, and opened her mouth to say something but Jonathan cut her off, "I'll explain on the way." She nodded, worry still etched in her face, as she got up and headed outside. Jonathan grabbed his jacket and the keys to the pick-up, and muttered, "Son, I'm going to kill you…"

**Lois's Apartment**

"YOU WHAT!" Clark pulled the phone away from his ear and grimaced. Chloe and Lois in the other room came into the kitchen, "What was that?" Lois asked. Clark sighed, "My dad…"


End file.
